810.20 Defense/5772/4: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Colombia (Braden)

53. Your 45, February 1, 1 p.m. The Department has received a communication from the Navy Department requesting that necessary diplomatic arrangements for surveys at Old Providence Island and Cartagena be made by you. When actual dates of surveys as well as ships and airplanes, have been selected, this information will be communicated to you.

Please indicate to the President that the Navy Department greatly appreciates the President’s approval of the proposed surveys and his cooperative suggestion that the personnel should be temporarily attached to the naval mission. For technical reasons it would be preferred by the Navy Department not to accept that suggestion. Instead, if you perceive no objection, please inquire of the President whether it would be agreeable to have the survey made “at the joint request of the United States naval mission and of the Ministry of War of Colombia, and under their general supervision”. If acceptable to [Page 2] the President, please make diplomatic arrangements on that basis. For your guidance, if original suggestion of President is insisted upon attachment of survey personnel to naval mission will be arranged.

Hull